The Moderating Effect of Debates on Political Attitudes
In theory, candidate debates can influence voters by providing information about candidates’ quality and policy positions. However, there is limited evidence about whether and why debates influence voters in new democracies. We use a field experiment on parliamentary debates during Ghana’s 2016 elections to show that debates improve voters’ evaluations of candidates. Debates have the strongest effect on partisan voters, who become more favorable toward and more likely to vote for opponent-party candidates and less likely to vote for co-partisans. Experimental and unique observational data capturing participants’ second-by-second reactions to the debates show that policy information was the most important causal mechanism driving partisan moderation, especially among strong partisans. A follow-up survey shows that these effects persist in electorally competitive communities, while they dissipate in party strongholds. Policy-centered debates have the potential to reduce partisan polarization in new democracies, but the local political context conditions the persistence of these effects.
American Journal of Political Science 64(1): 19–37, 2020.
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Citation
@article{brierley2020,
author = {Brierley, Sarah and Kramon, Eric and Kwaku Ofosu, George},
title = {The {Moderating} {Effect} of {Debates} on {Political}
{Attitudes}},
journal = {American Journal of Political Science},
volume = {64},
number = {1},
pages = {19-37},
date = {2020-01-01},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ajps.12458},
doi = {10.1111/ajps.12458},
langid = {en},
abstract = {In theory, candidate debates can influence voters by
providing information about candidates’ quality and policy
positions. However, there is limited evidence about whether and why
debates influence voters in new democracies. We use a field
experiment on parliamentary debates during Ghana’s 2016 elections to
show that debates improve voters’ evaluations of candidates. Debates
have the strongest effect on partisan voters, who become more
favorable toward and more likely to vote for opponent-party
candidates and less likely to vote for co-partisans. Experimental
and unique observational data capturing participants’
second-by-second reactions to the debates show that policy
information was the most important causal mechanism driving partisan
moderation, especially among strong partisans. A follow-up survey
shows that these effects persist in electorally competitive
communities, while they dissipate in party strongholds.
Policy-centered debates have the potential to reduce partisan
polarization in new democracies, but the local political context
conditions the persistence of these effects.}
}